Football hero and ESPN analyst Craig James expected to announce candidacy for U.S. Senate seat in Texas

ESPN football analyst Craig James is expected to announce his Senate campaign for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s Senate seat. (Official photo)

Somebody called an audible in Texas’ 2012 U.S. Senate race.

ESPN college football analyst Craig James is entering the Republican primary contest to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s open seat in 2012.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the onetime sports hero — a college standout at SMU and a pro running back with the New England Patriots — will officially announce his candidacy by Thursday.

As the founder of Texans for a Better America, James has been subtly positioning himself for the political limelight. The promotional video for James’ organization plays out as an elongated campaign advertisement, hitting all of the political sweet spots on his biography and ideological stances.

Even with the momentum from highlighting his “God-given talents” and conservative values, James would still have an uphill battle in the Senate race against well-known (and very wealthy) Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, and former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

James floated his name in 2010 as a potential senatorial candidate if incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison resigned (to run for governor against Rick Perry), but she didn’t leave office at the time.